Soothe Your Soul on a Backcountry Escape

This Green Scene story spotlights an environmentally focused attraction, event, person or place that enriches the Florida Keys

Ruled by the natural ebb and flow of the ocean, the Florida Keys backcountry is a realm of natural beauty, tranquil waters and seemingly limitless horizons. Largely unspoiled and teeming with plant and animal life, it’s the perfect spot to escape everyday cares and embrace a sense of renewal. 

The backcountry is a shallow region of flats and mangrove islands that lies mostly along the north side of the Florida Keys Overseas Highway. Not easily accessible to boat traffic, it’s home to one of the most diverse assortments of marine life in the world. 

In part because its waters are protected within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the region is ideal for exploring nature by kayak. Shallow-draft kayaks, requiring no special skills or experience to paddle, enable just about anyone to venture into the backcountry waters for a respite from modern-world stress. 

Both guided tours and kayak rentals are available throughout the Keys, but a guided tour is usually the way to go for first-timers. Most guides are eager to share their knowledge about the region’s environment, so a tour can become a fascinating mixture of field trip, natural history lesson and soul-soothing downtime.

The Keys’ backcountry environment ranges from mangrove communities to turtle grass flats to sponge flats. Mangrove islands are composed of tangled stands of mangroves, their aerial roots forming tunnels and fantastic twisted shapes that engender a sense of hush and wonder. 

Wildlife and rare birds abound; you might spot roseate spoonbills, osprey, great white herons and maybe even bald eagles. Gazing over the side of your craft, you’ll discover the rich biodiversity within the mangrove root systems (the roots are actually a nursery for young grouper, lobster, barracuda and other species). 

Turtle grass areas too are a unique part of the backcountry. Turtle grass looks a lot like lawn grass — but anyone who pulls up a flat green blade is likely to see snails, tiny aquatic animals, scurrying juvenile fish and other inhabitants of this busy ecosystem. 

Appearing completely engrossed in their small world, unaware of being observed, they offer a fascinating lesson in mindfulness. 

Also part of the backcountry are the sponge flats — the rocky sea-bottom home to bright-colored sponges and soft corals. The grass flats and sponge flats can also support small lobster, young reef fish, turtles, stingrays and big predators like shark and barracuda. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a graceful rolling tarpon. 

Some people define the tranquil Keys backcountry as a place whose natural wonders take their breath away. Others say it’s a place where they can finally catch their breath after being exhausted by the relentless pace of contemporary life.

Either way, exploring the area offers a chance to reconnect with nature and renew body and soul. 

So next time responsibilities start feeling too heavy, consider unplugging, slowing down and escaping to the Florida Keys — the real, unspoiled Florida Keys — and savoring a backcountry kayak excursion.